Lock-spring safety-snap.



S. W. REYNOLDS.

LOOK SPRING SAFETY SNAP.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16, 1910.

1,076,318. Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

T/WTNES'SE'E' JMENTUR.

ma /2M I UNITE STARS;

SAMUEL W. REYNOLDS, Q1? TOLEDO, OHIO.

LOCK-SPRING SAFETY-SNAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Application filed July 16, 1910. Serial No. 572,325.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of West Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Lock-Spring Safety-Snap; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the artto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to snap-hooks and has for its object the provision, in a snap hook of this character, of simple and efficient means for preventing an accidental disengagement therefrom of an eye, ring or other article hooked thereto should the spring guard or tongue become weakened, or for any cause stand with its free end slightly spaced from the bill or terminal of the hook, as is frequently the case, and also serving to protect the spring end and to keep it from being sprung sidewise by a quick jerk or pull.

The invention is fully described in the following specification, and a preferred embodimentthereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figures 1 and 2 are different side views of a snap hook embodying the feature of my invention with a portion of the latter in section, and Fig. 3 is an inner face view of a portion of the spring tongue.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the hook proper, 2 the bill or hook-terminal thereof, and 3 the spring-mousing or guard tongue customarily employed in snap hooks of this class, which has one end fixed to the hook body and its other end portion intended to normally bear outwardly against the inner side of the bill 2, as shown.

With snap hooks of this class considerable difficulty is encountered by reason of the spring-tongue becoming weakened and dropping out of normal contact with the bill, thus rendering it easy for a ring or other article held by the hook to work between the guard and bill and disengage itself from the hook. To obviate this difiiculty, I provide the bill 2 of the hook atopposite sides of the point of contact or intended contact of the tongue 3 therewith with inwardly projecting spurs or lugs 4, which guard the free end of said spring tongue, and are preferably tapered to a point or substantially so to tend to direct a contacting article toward the shank or opposite side of the hook. It is apparent with this form of hook that the tongue end must drop or be sprung away from the bill to an extent at least equal to the depth of the lugs 4 before it will be pos sible to force an engaged article between the bill and tongue ends.

The free end of the tongue 3 may be formed in any suitable manner on its inner side with a lug 5, which has its front or outer end rounded or tapered longitudinally thereof to adapt it to cooperate with the guard lugs 4 of the bill to direct an engaged article, which may strike thereagainst; toward the shank of the hook to prevent a disengagement of such article from the hook. Should the spring action of the tongue 3 become weakened and permit its free end to drop away from the hook bill, the lug 5 would project beyond the bill lugs 4 in position to have contact with the ring or engaged article, which contact would force the tongue to its seat in the bill and prevent an opening of the tongue sufficient to permit the engaged article to pass between it and the bill. It is found in practice that the provision of the lug 5 on the tongue in connection with the guard lugs 4 of the hook is quite important to the practical and efficient operation of a hook of this class.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. In a hook of the class described, a hook body terminating at one end in a bill, a spring tongue of sheet metal attached at one end to the hook body and having its other end in yielding contact with the inner side of the hook bill, and provided with an inwardly depressed portion forming a lug which extends longitudinally of the bill and has both ends of tapering form, said lug being spaced from the body of the hook when the tongue is seated against the bill and serving to deflect an engaged member away from the bill when moved in either direction longitudinally of the tongue.

2. In a hook of the class described, a hook body having one end of hook shape and terminating in a bill with the bill provided with a tongue seat on its inner surface and at opposite sides of its tongue seat with guard lugs which taper in opposite directions lengthwise of the body toward the hook body a spring tongue attached at one end to the hook body and having its other end normally seating againstthe bill between the bill lugs, said tongue being provided at the inner side of its free end with a lug which tapers in opposite directions toward the tongue longitudinally thereof and cooperates wit-h the bill lugs to deflect an engaged member away from the free end of the tongue when moved in opposite direc- 10 tions longitudinally of the hook body.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL W. REYNOLDS.

Witnesses:

JOHN R. THOMAS, H. A. MCALLISTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of la'centsv Washington, D. C. 

